Page 4 March 2015 Finding my very own path By Amanda Goossen As I sit down to write this column, I have a happy heart. The Association of Free Community Papers notified me this morning that I was nominated for and won the annual National Rising Star in Journalism award. I’m still pretty stunned. When I was a kid, I had notebooks and folders, journals and diaries all filled with stories. Words were a constant part of my life. My grandmother was a fierce storyteller. The woman could talk and as the family historian (truly, she dedicated the last 20 years of her life to building a family tree), she would take any opportunity to tell you long, dramatic, incredible stories about the people who had come before us. I still don’t know how many of these stories were actually true. She was creative and imaginative and as an adult I now realize that many of the tales I was told were probably partly, if not mostly, fiction. But whatever the case, I knew in those moments that I loved hearing people’s stories. I loved hearing where people came from and how they made their life happen. I now know, I was born to discover people’s stories and then share them with the world (or our little corner of the world). But I’m also pretty practical. A life as a journalist or writer seemed a bit too big for a girl who also dreamed of being a mother. Again…I now know this is not the truth. But bear with me; I was a bit naïve. When I applied to college at 17 years old, I remember sitting at the home computer in our family living room. My parents were watching the Nightly News and I was sitting, staring at the giant PC screen. My last application question glared back at me as if challenging me to just go for it. To make my dream come true. Not to chicken out. Instead I asked my parents, “Um, what am I good at?” “You like to read,” I remember my mom saying. “Great. I’ll be a professional reader,” I thought. I sat there…full of teenage angst. I typed: undeclared. What followed were approximately five major changes within my first year of college. Undeclared. English. Elementary Education. English. Secondary Education. English…There might have been a few others. I ended up with an English degree. I thought I would become a teacher. It was something with which I knew I would be happy. But two years into college, I met my prince charming. The day I walked across the stage to receive my spiffy new diploma I was five months pregnant. I spent the next seven years helping raise two beautiful little people, as a stay-at-home mom. Three years into being a mom I began writing a bit, first on notebook paper. Then in my AOL email account. For my 26th birthday my husband surprised me with my very own shiny, white MacBook. Talk about a man who understands how to nourish a dream. Soon I had a little freelance work. Which turned into more freelance work. I was even a reviewer for Publisher’s Weekly. (So I did become a professional reader. Who would have thought?) Eventually I found Arcadia News. But when I started writing a monthly Sweets & Treats article three years ago, I had no idea that life would take me here. Somehow with a bit of hard work and a whole lot of persistence, my dream came true. It wasn’t a conventional road, but I built my own path. I get to write. I listen to people’s stories. I get to share with the community. And now, as an AFCP Rising Star, I can’t wait to see what’s next. Find us on IN YOU For exclusive offers, download our app today! -CASINO PLAYER MAGAZINE -PHOENIX MAGAZINE, PHOENIX NEW TIMES, ARIZONA FOOTHILLS Best Overall Gaming Resort Favorite Casino Resort for a Vacation Best Poker Tournament BEST OF GAMING BEST CASINO 1 0 1 & I N D I A N B E N D · S C O T T S D A L E 480.850.7777 · TALKINGSTICKRESORT.COM Please gamble responsibly. Locally owned and caringly operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. 9604-6_TSR_PIS_ArcadiaNws.indd 1 2/12/15 1:58 PM Your Shop for Entertaining and Parties 5027 N 44th St 602.957.5066 urbanashop.com U R B A N C H A R M & E L E G A N C E

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